First the tear-jerking news story.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Dj7L3bcTk

Then the follow-up story, claiming it’s fake.  (Margin around video NOT safe for work)

Moderators:  I looked on youtube for this video, so everything would be safe for work, but couldn’t find a youtube version of story.  Your discretion of course if it’s forum-suitable.

Mod note - link to news story removed due to it being on a racist site.
Perception Manager, if you can find the video or an article hosted on a neutral site you can post another link.

For those interested, the second video mentioned that the background story of the man having the seizure does not seem to add up, regarding his being a cadet or student.

- Madmouse (Moderator)

I found the original here:

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/16123300/detail.html

“He told me a pretty incredible story about why he was here—about meeting his mother for the first time. I almost fell out of my chair,” Ragland said. “It was a tear-jerker. It made me want to do more for him.”
Bow also claimed to be a ROTC cadet at Mississippi State and said he wanted to be a fighter pilot. Ragland, however, found the university had no record of him, and the campus he said he attended doesn’t exist.

How desperate for attention must you be to do this?  I’d say it rates a 5 out of 10 on the hoax scale, almost a prank.  Who’s the joke on, and how does he benefit?  So what if you get your face on the TV. 

It made me suspicious anyway when they said ROTC guy was having a seizure.  The military has health standards etc. and they probably wouldn’t have allowed him in if he were seizure-prone.

Perception Manager - 04 May 2008 02:08 PM

The military has health standards etc. and they probably wouldn’t have allowed him in if he were seizure-prone.

You can’t always tell if somebody is seizure-prone, though, unless they actually have one.

Also, they may not even *know* they’re siezure prone.. even *after* having a siezure! ‘Petit Mal’ siezures are often characterized by someone staring into space and twitching for a bit. They’ll likely even remain standing. Also, since these things can develop later in life, it’s entirely possible that he had no prior indications. May have been triggered by an allergy to something new or even a mild stroke!